Conveyer.



A. B. HOLLEY.

CONVEYEB. APPLICATION rlLzomAn. 2. 1917.

1 ,280,032 Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '1.

A. B. HOLLEY.

CONVEYER. 7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2.1917- Patentedsept. 24, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIHI 'l ummmmlmmn ALBERT B. HOLLEY, OF VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA.

CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Staph, 24, 19918.,

Application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No.'151,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ALBERT B. HoL'LEY, a citizen of the United StatesofAmerica, residing at Virginia, in the county of Saint Louis and Stateof Minnesota, has invented certain new 'and useful Improvements inConveyers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in conveyers in the class ofloading and unloading machines and the invention involves a machine forelevating and conveying material as from the ground to cars, wagons orother vehicles, or for conveying materials from one position to another,but in the accompanying drawings the machine is best adapted for use inelevating ore, coal, 'and sand or other similar materials from theground to their proper receptacles.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device orapparatus of this characterwhich is power operated for the purpose ofloading ore, coal, etc., to waiting receptacles, and which is efficientin its operation, simple in construction, durable,

and comparatively inexpensive in construction and maintenance.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts whereby a shovel or scoop device has imparted thereto a pitchingmbtion whereby the material is conveyed froinend to end of the shovelfor loading or other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention, constructed according to thebest mode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples of my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailview showing the actuating mechanism of the shovel, parts being omittedfor convenience of illustration.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through one of the supporting platesfor the actuating mechanism, a portion of the shovel being also shown insection, and some of the actuating parts being shown in full.

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing modified forms of guidesfor the shovel.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as shown in the accompanyingdrawings I employ a supporting frame or base comprising the uprights orposts 1, 1 having the runners or shoes 2,2, resting on the ground orfioor, and at the top of the frame a bed plate 3 is provided for themotor 4 of suitable type and character. By means of the two horizontalside bars 5, 5, the front part of the frame is connected to the two rearposts 6, 6, and a cross brace 7 connects these two rear posts, while theshoes or runners 8, 8, are provided for these posts. By means of theshoes or runners 2 and 8, the machine is portable and may be .slid overthe ground or floor as desired,

while at the same time the shoes provide a 'stable and rigid support forthe machine.

Attached to the front posts 1, 1 and arranged at opposite sides of thefront frame are a pair of supporting side-plates 9 and 10 which areriveted or bolted to the uprights 1 and render the front portion of theframe rigid, as well as supporting the actuating mechanism.

Suspended between the front and rear ends of the supporting frame is aninclined shovel 11, preferably of trough-like shape with a scoop-end atthe floor and extending upwardly therefrom so that its rear end islocated at a desired altitude 'for best results.

The shovel is suspended so that it may have pair of links 12 12, to theplates 9 and 10,

and at the rear the scoop is pivoted to the posts 6, 6, by' the links13, 13. The pivot points of the links 12 12 are indicated by the numbers12' and 12 on the respective plates and shovel, and at the rear thepivot points are indicated by the numbers 13' and 13 on the posts 6 and.shovel respectively.

A combined vertical reciprocating motion and a horizontallyreciprocating motion is imparted to the suspended shovel by thefollowing actuating mechanism.

A revoluble actuating shaft 11 is journaled in bearings 15, 15 of thetwo supporting plates 9 and 10, and this shaft is driven from the motorby means of the wheel 16, chain 17, and wheellS on the shaft, the partsbeing indicated in conventional manner in Figs. 1 and 2, but it will beunderof its descent, while cam 20 follows the ascent of the trough, andduring its descent apphes power sufficient to accelerate the forwardmovement of the shovel sufiiciently to permit the shovel to complete itsforward movement while the material falls vertically, coming to rest atthe end of the shovel motion at a point farther up on the shovel.

Directly below the revoluble shaft 14 is supported the oscillatable orrock shaft 21 journaled in the bearings 22 of the supporting plates, andfixed on this shaft are a pair of arms 23 and 24, pivoted at therespective points 23' and 2 1 to the shovel 11. At the extremities ofthe rock shaft are levers 26 and 27, fixed on the shaft and arranged atpredetermined angles so that the respective wheels 28 and 29 on thesearms co-act with their cam disks 19 and 20 to actuate the shovel. Cam 19is so designed that in its revolution to the left (anti-clockwise) itwill gradually bear down the wheel 28 until the maximum point 19 ofthecam has reached the wheel and the shovel isbrought to dotted position inFig. 3 with the Wheel down and the shovel raised, and the shovel israised graduall but the movement of the cam from polnt 19 to 19 is suchthat at the start the descent of the shovel will be gradual, but willincrease rapidly. By the motion thus imparted to the shovel it isevident that the material willbe scooped up at the forward or front endand then be gradually Worked toward the rear of the inclined trough bythe cam action. As the shovel is made to swing upwardly it is evidentthe material therein will be carried up and back, and then when theshovel descends and moves forward it leaves the material in the air andswings forward under the mass by the :quick return movement of the cam,thus passing the material step by step to the rear, and at each forwardswing scooping or shoveling up new material and supporting the transientmaterial at a different point or points. The material of course falls bygravity after the shovel leaves it, but the quick return movement of theshovel carries the shovel forward with relation to the mass of material.so that at the upper rear end the material falls over the end of theshovel into a waiting receptacle which may be a wagon, car, etc.

The operation of the device, it will thus be seen, is entirely dependentupon the accelerated downward movement given the shovel, whereby thevertical element or component of the compound motion is accelerated tosuch a degree that this vertical component of any point on the shovelfollows the speed acquired by a falling body through the same verticaldistance. On account of this char acteristic of the device, the materialis free to drop during the time of the forward and downward motion ofthe shovel, and the material comes to rest on the shovel at the sameinstant that the forward motion ceases, at a point on the shovel adistance upward equal to the horizontal component of the motion. Thematerial thus lies undisturbed in the shovel excepting that it graduallyascends, or moves progressively, with pulsating movements, in anintegral mass. Upon account of the dependence of the law of gravity forthe operation of the device, there is but one correct speed at which anycams will work, and this speed must be such that the time intervals willcorrespond correctly with the distance through which the material falls.

'hile I have shown the cams as the instrumentalities for imparting theslow upward and rearward travel of the shovel and its comparativelyquick return, it will be apparent that other devices may be used forthis purpose. For instance I contemplate the use of a guide or race Rand roller W in Fig. 5. or a straight guide R instead of the curvedguide may be used in Fig. 6, to displace the links.to cause the troughor shovel to follow its combined vertical and horizontal reciprocatingmovement.

It will also be understood that the same action may be imparted toahorizontally disposed shovel or trough to cause material to be conveyedthereby, and the material could also be conveyed down an inclinedcarrier that was not provided with sufficient pitch to permit thematerial to slide freely.

WVhat I claim is r 1. A conveyer comprising a reciprocable carrier,supporting means for causing the carrier to move in a curved path andmeans for imparting uniform forward motion to it follows the speedacquired by a body falling through the same vertical distance.

3. A conveyer comprising a pivoted, reciprocable, inclined carrier andmeans for imparting uniform motion to the carrier in one direction andfor imparting thereto an accelerating return motion, the verticalcomponent of the return motion being accelerated to such a. speed thatit follows the speed acquired by a body falling through the samevertical distance.

4. The combination with a portable supporting frame of an inclinedshovel and pivotal suspending means therefor for causing the shovel tobe raised when moved in one direction and lowered during its returnmovement, and means for impartii'ig uniform movement to the shovel inone direction and for imparting thereto a quicker and acceleratingreturn movement, whereby material in the shovel is free to drop duringthe return motion of the shovel and comes to rest simultaneously withthe cessation of the return movement of the shovel.

5. The combination with a supporting frame, of a shovel and suspendingmeans therefor providing an upward and rearward swing, a cam shaft andcams thereon for imparting a rearward swing to the shovel at a uniformspeed, and for imparting a quicker return movement of the shovel.

6. The combination with a supporting frame of a horizontally andvertically reciproeable shovel and pivoted links suspending the shovel,cam disks supported in the frame, and levers in engagement with saiddisks to impart a rearward swing at uniform speed and an acceleratingforward swing to the shovel.

7. The combination with a portable supporting frame of an inclinedshovel having its forward lower end adapted to engage and scoopmaterial, pairs of pivoted suspending links for the shovel, a drivencamshaft and cams thereon for imparting uniform movement to the shovelin one direction, and for imparting thereto a quicker and acceleratingreturn motion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT B. 'HOLLEY.

